There will be changes in the status of a doctoral student. Here is what the Ministry of Science proposes

Making the rules for suspending education at a doctoral school more flexible, including doctoral students in the social security system, and enabling the use of doctoral school infrastructure despite losing the status of a doctoral student - such changes have been proposed by the Ministry of Science in a draft amendment to several acts.

The draft amendment to the Law on Higher Education and Science and certain other acts was prepared as part of the deregulation package and published on the RCL website on Friday. It has been submitted for public consultation, which will last until July 28.

The Ministry of Science and Higher Education (MNiSW) has proposed changes to the Law on Higher Education and Science that will oblige entities operating doctoral schools to specify cases other than those related to parenthood in which it will be possible for a doctoral student to suspend their education.

According to the proposed changes, the reasons for suspension of education by a doctoral student other than parental leave and the method of considering the doctoral student's application will be specified by the entity running the doctoral school in the regulations of that school. It was also indicated that suspension of education made in this manner may not last longer than 12 months in total during the entire period of education at the doctoral school. According to the project, during the suspension, the doctoral scholarship will not be paid; the deadlines for appointing a supervisor, submitting an individual research plan, conducting a mid-term evaluation and submitting a doctoral dissertation will not run.

In addition, the draft proposes covering doctoral students with compulsory health insurance while simultaneously introducing changes to the provisions of the Act consisting in the abolition of the right to a doctoral scholarship in the case of a doctoral student who has acquired the right to benefits (specified in the Benefits Act and the Social Insurance Act) in respect of accidents at work and occupational diseases.

"As a result, doctoral students will be covered by the sickness and accident insurance benefits system in the event of illness, accident or parental leave," it was explained in the justification for the project.

It was emphasized that the introduction of the regulation on the ineligibility of a doctoral scholarship is a necessary condition for receiving benefits from the Benefits Act and the Social Insurance Act for accidents at work and occupational diseases. "The indicated benefits are not due for periods of incapacity for work (education), for which the insured person (doctoral student) retains the right to remuneration (doctoral scholarship)" - it was noted.

In response to demands from the doctoral student community, the Ministry of Science has proposed obliging entities operating doctoral schools to specify the conditions for free use of the entity's research and IT infrastructure by persons who have completed their education at a doctoral school.

According to the draft, the provisions on the introduction of mandatory sickness insurance will cover all doctoral students from the date of entry into force of the Act, i.e. from 1 January 2026.

The provisions on the optional suspension of education in a doctoral school will apply only after entities make appropriate changes to the regulations of doctoral schools, which should take place no later than 6 months from the date of entry into force of the Act. Also, changes regarding the possibility of using the research and IT infrastructure of entities running doctoral schools by persons who have completed education in these schools and are preparing to defend their doctoral dissertations will apply only after the issuance of appropriate resolutions, which should take place no later than 6 months from the date of entry into force of the Act.

As emphasized in the regulatory impact assessment, the aim of the project is to "create a legal framework that will allow for the suspension of doctoral education, and not to increase the number of people using these rights". Therefore, the effectiveness of the proposed solutions will be assessed on an ongoing basis based on signals from the doctoral student community, entities running doctoral schools and the National Representation of Doctoral Students. (PAP)

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